A close-up of a Bridgestone tire on a blue crossoverTo give you an idea of how Bridgestone tires are currently ranking against Michelin, the former wasn't included in the list of tire brands that our readers are using for their daily drivers. Interestingly enough, Bridgestone and its tires also didn't make it to Consumer Reports' (CR) list of the best tires for 2026, nor was it included among the best bang-for-your-buck tires in late 2025. On the other hand, French tiremaker Michelin is on a roll. It has dominated the J.D. Power U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study across two decades, and it sprung back to the top rank in multiple segments for 2026 after Goodyear briefly took the throne last year. Furthermore, Michelin is Consumer Reports' highest-ranking tire brand for 2026, with all of its tested tires earning a recommendation from the outlet.For context, CR tests each tire for comfort, braking, handling, hydroplaning resistance, road noise, and snow traction. The publication tested 30 brands, and Michelin, Continental, and Vredestein rank in the top three. As for Bridgestone, the once-almighty Japanese tire brand has found itself languishing behind its contemporaries. It currently ranks in 10th place in the rankings, with other brands like Toyo, Nokian, Goodyear, Hankook, Kumho, and General all garnering higher scores. As to how Bridgestone tires stack up against Michelin, it doesn't look like a fair fight, as Michelin tires are gathering all sorts of awards and commendations in performance, durability, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Bridgestone needs to amp up its gameThe Michelin Pilot Sport performance tire of a BMW M2That negativity continues when looking at other products from Bridgestone, such as its Turanza all-season tires. Those got an above-average rating from CR, but the owner satisfaction was below average. Moving over to the somewhat-equivalent Michelin Primacy Tour A/S, its rating was just a notch above that of the Turanza tires. But it still received a massive score for owner satisfaction, and that trend continues across just about every segment. Moreover, Consumer Reports is not the only one issuing lower-than-average grades to Bridgestone's report card. According to JD Power's 2026 OE Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, Bridgestone scored below average in the passenger car and performance sport category, although it did manage to score just slightly above average in the truck and utility segment — so all hope is not lost. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred search source on Google.
